Frozen in Empathy
by Annie Dash
Summary: Maya and Lucas. Hurt/comfort. Be prepared to cry in the later chapters.
1. Broken Bird

**I appreciate reviews so much! :) I have a general idea for where this story is going, but please tell me what you think so far. Here we go:**

**Chapter 1**

It was a clear violation of girl code to go after her best friend's crush. However, as she sat at her roll-top desk writing the boy a letter, she decided it didn't matter. The crush had lasted for almost two years, yet nothing happened. If her best friend was too afraid of making a move for that long, the girl code probably wasn't a big deal anymore. Besides, the two were high school freshmen, in a school with over 200 students per grade. Ranger Rick wasn't the only boy out there.

Maya had grown up a bit. Her figure was fuller, her face looked more like a young woman's than a child's, and she generally didn't make fun of Lucas. Her sarcasm was still present, but it always came across as witty, not cruel. However, in some ways, she had become less loyal to Riley. Lucas made it clear during the summer after eighth grade that he liked Maya, not Riley, and Maya, who had liked Lucas for almost as long as did, went on several friend-dates with him during July and August. It wasn't that they lied to Riley about it; they just agreed it was better for her not to know. Innocent Riley never asked about their relationship and just assumed the three of them were still friends, no drama except for Lucas's little crush on Maya, which would hopefully be short-lived.

Both Lucas and Maya would be lying if they said they didn't have fun with each other, whether they went to the movies, the park, ice skating, or to parties. Both would also be lying if they said their feelings for each other hadn't grown stronger. As much as both cared about Riley, they started to care about each other just as much, maybe even more in Lucas's case.

Over the summer, the two had learned almost every secret about each other. Maya confessed about her suicidal thoughts that had lasted all the way through seventh and eighth grade, until she finally confessed it to Shawn Hunter, her stepdad of six months. Shawn was quick to help out Maya, and the girl had gone to therapy since the end of eighth grade. It helped a lot, and Maya was on the long road to recovery. Maya and her mother even became far closer as a result. However, starting high school didn't exactly help since she and Riley were growing apart more and more. It was like having a chasm between them. The girls hadn't had actual "Riley and Maya Time" in almost two months.

Lucas talked about how he still didn't feel at home in New York City. Today was two-year anniversary of his family moving, October 15th, and he still felt completely lost, partially because of Riley's undying obsession with him and the fact that he didn't have the heart to push her away.

As Maya thought about all this, she continued her letter:

Lucas, basically what I'm trying to say is that this relationship won't be good for either of us. As much as I care about you, I don't think you should be with me, a broken girl, who will just drag you down. And I'm terrified of depending on you to bring me up whenever I feel lost. Maybe it's best if we just end this now because I'm far too broken to give you a full heart.

I honestly think you'd be better off with a girl more like Riley, someone who will be willing and able to give you everything I can't and who will truly love you. It's been getting so hard not to resent her, someone who has everything: parents, popularity, beauty, money, kindness, and intelligence. Yet she complains so much about the minor imperfections in her life, mostly that you don't like her the way she likes you, despite the fact that I know at least three other guys who would treat her right and would be dying to have the chance to be with her.

So while it kills me to write you this letter, I think it's important that you focus on finding a girl who can bring you up, instead of bringing you down. Maybe once I'm more emotionally capable, we can consider being close again.

I love you Lucas.

~Maya


	2. Rainy Days

I love reviews, so if you like my story or hate it, you know what to do. :) More reviews=more updates. Thanks for reading!

**Chapter 2**

"In the veiling of the sun,

We will walk in bitter rain."

His favorite memory of the beautiful blonde was his sudden appearance in front of her apartment on a rainy day in April of their eighth grade year. It was her birthday, and he was determined to please her with his gifts. Since it was the day immediately before Easter, Riley's family was out of town, and Lucas was aware that she had no plans. As a result of his kindness, all he could think of was making Maya's day amazing, by doing something only she would love.

If there was one defining trait of Lucas, it would be, much like Riley, his need to make everyone happy. He had noticed throughout his second year in New York that Maya often seemed depressed and moody. As a result, he decided to make her birthday the most special day ever.

The boy knocked on the door of her apartment and waited until Shawn, Maya's brand new stepdad, answered the door. He couldn't help noticing that the place was a lot neater than usual. Katy Hart paid a lot more attention to cleanliness after she started dating Shawn.

Maya walked into the living room and greeted Lucas with a hug. Her hair smelled like vanilla, and Lucas was honestly disappointed when the hug ended. "Happy birthday," he said. After asking her parents if she could go out, Maya and Lucas headed outside, and he gave her a large red bag.

Ever since she was a child, Maya loved getting birthday presents. The idea of a day entirely devoted to her was touching, and she looked inside the bag to see what she got. Inside were four boxes.

She carefully opened each box, one at a time, starting with the smallest. "An MH necklace. It's beautiful." After taking it out, she handed the silver necklace to Lucas, who put it around her neck.

The next box featured two gifts: two tickets to a U2 concert in Madison Square Garden during July. Maya gasped and hugged Lucas. "How could you possibly get these? They had to be super expensive!"

"I've been saving up money from dog walking and babysitting for a while now. When I first met you, I decided that I wanted to do something special for you, and I guess this is it. And I'd be honored if you let me come to the concert with you. I know Riley doesn't really like U2."

"Of course you're coming! Thank you so much." Maya grinned excitedly and opened the third box. Inside was a book about Salvador Dali, her favorite artist. Before opening the final box, she and Lucas paged through the book for a while, looking at the beautiful paintings and facts about the person.

The final present was a picture of her, Riley, Lucas, and Farkle at her happiest moment on a day she didn't want to remember. However, even she had to admit that the picture brought back heartwarming memories of her three best friends. The frame of the photograph was red and black and had silver glitter sprinkled around it.

Before she could thank Lucas again, rain began pouring out of the sky. Lucas, always prepared, took out an umbrella, and the two ran into a nearby pizza shop. They ordered several slices of pizza and ate until they were completely stuffed.

Although it was still raining, the two kept walking around the city, and they finally ended the day with a long walk through Central Park. They spent hours telling jokes and stories and learning more about each other with each passing moment. Despite the umbrella, both were completely drenched, but both were at peace by the time they were home. They agreed that the day was a "friend date", and they agreed to only tell Riley that they spent an hour or so hanging out. Neither of them wanted a jealous Riley on their hands. Although the two would deny it when asked, that was the day they really started to love each other.

The skies started to clear up the next day, and just as the sun reached its peak in the sky, Maya received a text: _Yesterday was perfect. Thank you for being Maya, and thank you for giving me so much of your time._ And somehow, the girl knew everything would turn out alright, regardless of all the lows in her life.

However, that wasn't the plan just yet.


	3. Broken Walls and Bathroom Stalls

**Please let me know what you think! I'm always willing to receive constructive criticism and reviews absolutely make my day! :)**

**Chapter 3**

She could read him like an open book, and that was just the way he liked it. Sometimes it helped having someone who knew him better than he knew himself, as he never had to worry about hiding: She guessed all his emotions correctly, without fail.

By the end of seventh grade, he had taken to hiding from her when something bad happened or when Riley made an unrequited move on him, in fear of her all-knowing glances and unstoppable rage. However, she expressed no hesitation in barging into the boy's bathroom, the place he always hid because some small, annoying part of him really wanted her to listen. The girl was a surprisingly good listener and always gave him amazing advice.

"Lucas!" she yelled. "You can't hide from me forever!" It was the first time he had ever seriously screwed up with Riley and had accidentally left the girl in tears. He ran away, completely embarrassed and ashamed, but also completely terrified of Maya. The blue bathroom door slammed shut, and he heard the angry stomps of Maya's tall black combat boots marching toward him. He peaked up, head buried between his knees.

"You found me," he said flatly.

"What did you do to Riley?" she demanded, with a fierce expression on her face.

"Maya, I'm so sorry. She was coming on pretty strong, and I just couldn't get her to stop doing the hair flip thing that I hate more than anything. Sometimes her flirting gets to be way too much, and I guess I just lost my temper." The boy wore an apologetic frown on his face and his eyes stared up at Maya's, as though he were pleading her to forgive him.

Softening slightly, Maya sat down next to him and wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulder. She looked him in the eyes and stated, "Riley is a crazy weirdo, but she's my crazy weirdo. I get that she can be annoying, but it's always because she cares about you and would give anything to please you. And you, you're a smart cowboy, and I know that if you really try, you can be kind to her, despite her obsession with you. You're not just Riley's friend: You're mine too, and I love you to death, but don't you dare make her upset again. Handle your emotions maturely."

Lucas brightened a bit. "Thanks Maya."

The two talked for a bit more before going back to class. Lucas apologized to Riley, who, like a lovestruck puppy, quickly forgave him with an enormous hug.

Maya couldn't seem to get the conversation out of her head.

In a rare moment, after talking on the phone with his father, Lucas began to cry. His parents were having yet another fight over custody, as he lived in New York with his dad and younger sister, and his mom, a recovering alcoholic, lived in Texas. His father could be very strict at times and wanted his children visiting his ex-wife as little as possible, but the boy simply missed his mother rather often, and Mr. Friar didn't want Lucas to make weekly trips out to Texas to see a mother who wasn't yet ready to completely love him.

It was a huge disappointment to Lucas that he wouldn't be able to spend a few weeks over the summer at his real home but would have to stay in New York for almost three months of school with his dad and only a few friends and teammates to keep him company. After a long fight with his father, he began to cry and raced into the boys' restroom to throw himself a pity party. He simply couldn't help feeling sorry for himself because he wouldn't able to see his real friends. Not that Riley, Maya, and Farkle weren't real friends, just that his friends in Texas had been there for him throughout his whole life.

Maya casually strolled into the bathroom. "Mr. Matthews wants you in class. Right now." Upon seeing Lucas's tear-stained face, she asked, "What is it this time, Sundance?"

He explained the entire situation, and Maya's face showed understanding and sadness. "I know exactly what you mean. I live with a mom who doesn't totally care about me, and my dad left us to start a new family. I've pretty much faced the fact that my dad will never come back, and I think about memories with him every day, both good and bad."

They proceeded to talk for hours about family issues before going back to class, connected in mutual understanding. Both received detention for cutting class, but neither one cared. Friendship was more important.

Similar restroom meetings occurred that year, and Maya and Lucas bonded quite a bit as a result. By the end of seventh grade, Lucas could honestly say that he was better friends with Maya than he was with Riley, as a result of learning so many of her secrets through their talks.

He began to slowly chip away at and breach her walls, despite how guarded Maya was. He was the only person other than Riley, Shawn, and Farkle who had ever convinced her to spill secrets about herself. It was a discovery she both felt relieved by and feared. However, after all the tears were shed, the two saw each other very rarely the summer after seventh grade. As much as they trusted each other, sometimes it was still difficult to be in the same room with a person who had the power to make them spill their deepest secrets.


End file.
